As Is
by Bad Faery
Summary: Molly has had nothing but bad days in the weeks since WrestleMania XX. Fortunately, Eugene is good at cheering people up. Molly Holly x William Regal
1. Chapter 1

Molly wandered through the arena's corridors, looking for some place out of the way. Once upon a time, she'd craved the company of others. Now, she shunned crowds, looking only to escape to some private oasis. 'Might have something to do with the fact that everybody hates my guts,' she grumbled mentally. Being with others was an invitation for them to humiliate her. After the last game of Keep Away that Trish and Stacy had played with her wig, Molly was in no hurry to offer up that invitation again. The pile of collapsed folding tables she found in a quiet hallway was no oasis, but it was private and, therefore, would do nicely. Molly hopped up onto the pile of tables and curled her legs beneath her, pulling a battered paperback from her duffel bag.

Lost in her book, Molly never heard the approaching footsteps until the shuffling step reached her side. Looking up, she found herself gazing into Eugene's innocent face. "Hey, Eugene," she greeted him quietly.

"Hi," he replied brightly, giving her an endearingly goofy grin.

Molly glanced up the hallway but saw no one else. Evidently, the young man was on his own. "Are you lost, Eugene?" she asked him gently. It wouldn't do for him to wander the halls on his own. Realizing that she was concerning herself with someone else's well-being took Molly by surprise. It had been a long time since she'd been anything near altruistic. Nervously, she fiddled with a lock of her curly brown wig.

Eugene reached up towards her face. Instinctively, Molly flinched backwards, then scolded herself for her behavior. Of all the people on the roster, Eugene would have to be the last one who would hurt her. His hand settled near hers on the wig. Tentatively, he stroked the dark curls, smiling at the way they bounced when leaving his fingers. "Soft," he commented with pleasure.

Smiling, Molly leaned forward to give him better access to the curls. It was nice to know that her wigs had a positive effect on _someone_. Eugene gained confidence when she didn't rebuke him for touching her and began to stroke the wig more firmly. As he reached the end of the length of hair, the curls snarled around his fingers, following his hand when he dropped it to his side.

The wig detached itself easily from Molly's head, landing in Eugene's outstretched hands. With wide eyes, he took in her nearly bald head before noticing the tangle of dark hair in his hands. Shaking his hands frantically, Eugene tried to free himself from the wig that only tangled itself more around his fingers. Terrified by the clinging mass, Eugene screamed, the noise echoing down the quiet hallway.

Jumping off the stack of tables, Molly approached the young man, thinking to help. Her movement caught him off guard, and he jumped back from her, screaming again. Molly cringed at the noise and the look in his eyes. When she held up her hands to try to calm him, Eugene flinched away, evidently expecting an attack.

"Eugene... Eugene..." Molly struggled to make herself heard over his screams. "It's okay, Eugene. Calm down. Eugene..."

The sight of her wig clinging determinedly to Eugene's flailing hands was almost too much for Molly. She choked back on the hysterical laughter that wanted to erupt and continued trying to soothe the still-screaming Eugene. So much for her private oasis. She'd be lucky if only half the roster came to see what the commotion was about.

On cue, the sound of racing footsteps reached her ears during one of Eugene's pauses for breath. Oh God, who would it be? Bischoff? Christian? Please God, not Trish. Hesitantly, Molly risked a glance over her shoulder to see who would be joining their mad little tea party.

"Eugene! Dear boy, what on earth-" William Regal's voice died away when his eyes met Molly's. Flushing scarlet, Molly backed away from him before forcing herself to remain still. William had been her friend once. It would be rude not to at least greet him. She smiled hesitantly as he reached them, his eyes still locked on her. "William."

"Molly," he replied, then returned his attention to his shrieking charge. Taking in the situation at a glance, he caught Eugene's elbow, rolling his eyes when the young man tried to jump away.

"Eugene," his firm voice commanded attention. The young man stilled long enough to allow Regal to detach the wig from his hands. Pulling it away from Eugene, Regal stated clearly, "It's a wig. It's not going to hurt you."

Eugene looked down at his now-free hands, before staring at the wig. Regal continued speaking, "See? Look. It won't hurt you." He displayed the brown locks, demonstrating their harmlessness.

"You must calm down. You're frightening Molly," Regal scolded gently. "You don't want to do that, do you?"

Eugene's face twisted unhappily, guilt written clearly there as he shook his head, sucking at his fingers. "No. No, I'm sorry. Sorry, Molly. Sorry."

"It's all right, Eugene," she assured him, reaching out slowly to pat him on the shoulder. He jerked a little and she pulled back, thinking she'd frightened him, but she suddenly found herself wrapped in a tight hug, her toes barely touching the hard floor. Despite herself, she laughed, hugging back. It felt like it had been years since she was last touched like this, and Eugene's simple affection was impossible to resist.

"Do put her down now, Eugene." There was a note of amusement hidden in William's long-suffering tone, "It's growing late, and you've not eaten yet."

Carefully, Eugene set her back on her feet, holding onto her left hand, a wide smile on his face. "Can Molly come too?"

Regal cleared his throat, looking down at the floor with curious intent. "I... I'm certain Molly has things she needs to be doing."

It sounded like a rejection, but for some reason, it didn't feel that way. Under the harsh florescent lighting, William's color was high, and she didn't miss the way he was not-quite looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Eugene grumbled in dismay, and before she could think twice, Molly blurted, "Actually, I'm starving."

She jumped a little as Eugene squealed in childish glee, clapping his hands together. His enthusiasm made her laugh, the chill she'd carried inside for so long starting to thaw a bit. She snuck another glance at William. Once she'd been able to read his carefully-controlled expressions with ease, but it had been too long since they'd spent time together for her to do so now. He wasn't scowling or making excuses, so she interpreted that as an invitation.

"Well, then. Shall we?" Regal gestured down the hall, the wig still in his hands.

Eugene's eyes tracked the movement, and Molly braced herself for another round of shrieking. Instead, he made a grab for the wig, easily getting it away from the surprised Regal, and tangling his fingers in it.

"Soft," he announced again, snuggling it like he would a pet rabbit. He shambled down the hall in the direction Regal had indicated, mumbling to himself. Molly had the vague sense that he was actually talking to the wig.

She and William watched him for a moment in bemusement, then he turned to face her, "I'm afraid you shan't be getting it back."

"That's all right," she smiled, unable to resist Eugene's bounce of happiness, "It's not like I don't have others."

She chanced another look up at him, automatically lifting her hands to shield her head when she saw him looking down at her with consideration.

"You don't need them," he informed her, arresting her movement, "You're lovely as you are." He looked away from her at once, busying himself with collecting her bag. His tone was strictly matter-of-fact, leaving no room for argument. Before Molly could find words, she found herself taking his proffered arm as he escorted her after Eugene.

Despite the kind words, it hadn't sounded like a compliment, merely a statement of the truth as he saw it. William thought she looked lovely, even shorn of her hair. It took her a moment to digest this. "It would be easier to focus on my matches if I didn't have to worry about keeping a wig on," she finally ventured.

"It sounds as though the decision has been made," he observed, catching up to Eugene to tap his shoulder and direct him down the hallway that led to catering.

Unwilling to commit to the idea so quickly, Molly demurred, "Let's see how dinner goes."

There were snickers when they arrived, malicious glances going from the wig in Eugene's hands to her bare head. Regal kept her beside him, bringing his arm down slightly to move her closer to his body. "Hold your head up," he told her quietly as Molly felt her face heat with embarrassment, "You're better than they are, and they know it. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I lost," she snapped, humiliation making her temper fray.

"Who's a better wrestler, the Rock or that idiot Hurricane?" he asked, guiding her towards the tables of food.

Distracted by his apparent non sequitur, Molly gave the question her attention as she automatically filled her plate with salmon and vegetables. "The Rock. Greg's good, but he's never going to be world champion."

"Yet, the Rock has lost to him. You lost to Victoria. I've lost to Spike bloody Dudley," he continued, following Eugene to a table that was off to the side. "Everyone has an off night," he concluded, pulling her chair out for her.

Molly searched for a way to argue with him, finding herself unable to come up with one. "I hate it when you make sense."

"Unfortunately, I'm cursed to do so." William pulled a face as Eugene attacked a plate of spaghetti. "You're a talented wrestler and a beautiful woman, and I can't understand why you value the opinions of a group of spray-tanned chippies who wouldn't know a wrist-lock from a wristwatch."

Taking in his words, Molly smiled faintly, "When you put it like that, I can't understand it either." For the first time in weeks, she could taste something other than her own bitterness as she ate.

"I am sorry things didn't work out between you and young Nowinski though," he said, lowering his voice, "I should have said that earlier, but there never seemed to be an appropriate moment."

Molly looked up at him in surprise, not even noticing the slurping sounds Eugene was making. "Chris? Don't be. I mean he's a real nice guy, and he saved me from going through a table and all, but... And I _am_ sorry he got hurt, but it wasn't a big deal to me. He made me feel kind of pressured. You know?"

She thought back over her words, realizing just how vague and incoherent they had been. Trying again, she said, "I don't think I liked him the way he liked me."

Regal looked troubled at that, but didn't press her for more of an explanation. Perhaps he was disappointed she hadn't been as fond of his protege as he'd thought.

The rest of the meal passed in silence broken only by the sound of Eugene eating or exclaiming happily at the sight of a favorite wrestler, still the ultimate fan.

Afterwards, they made their way back to the dressing rooms, William walking her to the women's locker room before taking Eugene to get ready for his match. She let herself in, ignoring the deliberately audible snickers from Christy and Victoria as she approached the mirror. Looking at herself with consideration, she took in the half-inch of stubbly hair that framed her pale face.

"I don't think it's quite grown back yet," Victoria said with mock-sympathy, "Forget something?" She tossed a wig to Molly, hitting her in the back.

'William said I look lovely,' she told herself. It would never be mistaken for a flattering style, but at least she no longer saw failure looking back at her. 'Victoria won at Wrestlemania. I'll win the next time.'

During her time with the company, the wrestlers had met no shortage of children through the Make-A-Wish program, children who were as bald as she was due to illness, not an unfortunate three count. Molly's hair would grow back. It was the height of selfishness to act like this was the end of the world. She nodded at her reflection, her expression lightening. Turning to the still-laughing women, she said with quiet dignity, "I don't think it's all that bad."

Without another word, she picked the wig up off the floor, tossed it into the trash can, and proceeded to dress for her match, leaving Victoria and Christy staring at her in shock. To her own surprise, they made no other comments.

"Very nice," William complimented when she joined him and Eugene backstage before Eugene's match. A little judicious application of gel had spiked up the remains of her hair, giving her a look that in a few weeks could reasonably be called a pixie cut. Matched with her dark tights and black top, she looked somber, serious, and not at all like the joke she'd been since Wrestlemania.

"Are you coming out with us?" Eugene asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot, his nerves on display as he awaited his moment in the spotlight.

She shook her head, "Not tonight, Eugene. I have a match right after yours. I'll wait here to congratulate you when you get back though, okay?"

He nodded agreeably, and William turned to her. "You're good with him," he told her in a low tone.

"He's the first person to be nice to me in quite awhile," she informed him, trying not to let self-pity cloud her tone, "It feels good to be nice back."

Before he could respond to that Eugene's music hit and he escorted the young man down the ramp, giving her a considering look over his shoulder as he left. Molly judged the progress of the match by the crowd noise, smiling as they cheered on Eugene as he used the People's Elbow on Jaime Noble to pick up the win.

She ignored Victoria as the other diva joined her before their match, giving her full attention to Eugene as he returned, nearly skipping, "I won! I won!"

"I know you did. Congratulations!" she cheered, returning his hug despite the sweat dripping off of him. Looking around, she realized he was on his own. "Eugene, where's William?"

"I'm supposed to stay right here and don't wander off," he told her, clearly repeating firm instructions and not really answering her question. Molly had just enough time to point him towards a crate to sit on before it was time for her entrance. As always, the lights blinded her for a moment, and when her vision cleared, she saw Regal sitting at the announcers' table with JR and the King, set to do commentary on her match.

She held up her arms proudly, ignoring the heckling coming from the crowd. 'William thinks I look lovely.' The words were becoming her mantra. Victoria got a better reaction, but she took care of that quickly by going immediately on the offense, getting the bigger woman down on the mat mere seconds after the bell.

No longer having to worry about her wig meant that she no longer had to tone down her more high-flying maneuvers, enabling her to land a drop-kick as Victoria struggled back to her feet. To her surprise, the crowd's allegiance started to shift slightly as she continued to dominate the match, culminating in a Molly-Go-Round from the top rope that earned her actual cheers to go along with the win.

She smiled as the referee raised her hand in victory, basking in the sounds of approval. For months she been concentrating on mat-based and submission moves, finding herself less popular and effective with each passing day. Could winning over the crowd really be as simple as expanding her arsenal of offense?

For the moment it seemed it was, and her smile widened. A noise behind her made her pivot on her heel, braced for an attack, but instead she saw William climbing between the ring ropes. He gave her a half-bow of respect, then offered her his arm.

She took it and allowed him to lead her to the edge of the ring, releasing her only long enough to hold the ropes apart for her. "This is how we met the first time," she reminded him as he escorted her up the ramp.

"I remember. Although tonight we have loud, lascivious Floridians instead of loud, lascivious Canadians," he repeated his words from that night. "You're just as lovely now as you were then."

She blushed, stumbling a little at the warmth in his voice. Anything that she might have said in response was lost as Eugene nearly tackled her in glee as they got backstage. "You won too! We should be a tag team!" he enthused, raising their clasped hands in victory.

"I can't imagine what we'd call you," Regal pointed out dryly. Returning his attention to Molly, he asked, "Do you have a ride to the next town?"

She hadn't had a traveling partner since Victoria had turned her back on their friendship. "I was going to rent a car."

"Would you care to join us?" he asked, something in his tone telling her that he was offering more than a one-time car ride.

"Ooh, yes, yes, yes!" Eugene clapped, "Come with us! I'll let you sit up front."

William chuckled, "I hope you appreciate what a sacrifice he's making."

She looked at the pair struck by how different they were- the excitable man-child and the dignified Brit. Yet despite their differences, they seemed to truly care about each other. Maybe adding a bald former southern belle to the mix would work out just fine. "I'd like that."


	2. Chapter 2

"We're here." William's hand was gentle on her shoulder as he shook her out of her doze. Molly winced as she sat up, her neck aching from the odd angle her head had been at as she rested it against the window.

"Sorry," she yawned, trying to work out the kinks, "I guess I wasn't very good company."

"You were tired from your match," he replied, hesitating before bestowing a small smile upon her, "If I wanted entertainment, all I had to do was look at you."

Swiftly, he got out of the car, retrieving their bags from the trunk as Molly turned around in her seat to try to wake Eugene who was quietly snuffling in the back. All her sleep-dimmed mind could focus on was the fact the William seemed to be flirting with her. That made no sense considering how little attention he'd paid her since Nowinski came on the scene the previous year.

Yawning again, she gave up on the puzzle until a time when she was more awake and nearly dragged Eugene into the modest hotel with her where William was sorting out their rooms at the front desk.

Her room wound up being directly across the hall from his, and he hesitated in the doorway after he'd deposited her bag inside. For a moment, she wondered if he was waiting for an invitation to join her, but his next words proved her wrong, "Make certain to lock your door. Eugene... wanders sometime. He's harmless, but I wouldn't want him to frighten you."

"I understand." Waking up to find anyone hovering over her, even Eugene, would be a nasty surprise. She hadn't permitted a male to enter her hotel room since she and Crash stopped traveling together. She looked up at William, watching him gaze down at her, his eyes dark with exhaustion or perhaps with something more. She couldn't begin to guess what.

Finally, he put an arm around her shoulders, tugging her closer in a half-hug. "G'night, love." She felt a quick kiss pressed against her forehead before he released her, letting himself into his own room without a backward glance.

"Good night, William," she murmured into the empty hallway, before closing the door behind her. Her mind raced as she changed for bed. William was being very solicitous, and she wondered what was motivating him. He'd been fond of her once, back when they used to partner, but it had been over a year since he'd sought her out. He'd been out some of that time with his heart condition, but it still seemed odd to her. Maybe he was just grateful that she was being kind to Eugene.

With a embarrassed look at the closed door, she removed the stuffed frog from her bag, curling up with it as she reflected on the day. She was far too old for stuffed toys, but she needed the comfort of an old friend. Really, she was just as bad as Eugene and the wig, only she didn't have his excuse. She yawned as she pictured him carrying the wig around. That was just kind of weird. She dozed off, wondering if he'd accept some kind of stuffed animal as a replacement, and awoke what seemed like moments later to a scratching at her door.

A quick look at the curtains showed that it was past dawn, so she'd had at least six hours of sleep, even though it didn't feel that way. Leaving the frog on the bed, she stumbled to the door, opening it without bothering to see who was waiting for her. That was one advantage of her new hairstyle: she didn't have to worry about bed head.

Eugene shuffled past her into the room without waiting for an invitation. "Hi, Molly. Want to watch cartoons?" Before she could answer, he was sprawled out on his stomach on the other double bed,

Still groggy, she watched him for a second as he flipped through the channels, finally landing on an episode of _SpongeBob_, seemingly content to just be in the room. "Sure, why not?" she muttered, tossing herself back into her own bed and yanking the covers over her head to block out the sound of Patrick's laugh. "Just stay there, okay?" she requested, her voice muffled.

"Okay," he agreed, laughing along with the antics on screen. She smiled into her pillow at his innocent enjoyment and fell almost immediately back to sleep.

"Eugene? Eugene? Molly?" The worry in Regal's voice snapped her out of her dream and she sat up in bed, glancing quickly to the side to see Eugene still held rapt by the magic of _SpongeBob_. There was a rap at her door before it opened and Regal stuck his head in, "Molly, have you-?"

He cut himself off with a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Eugene. "You can come in," she invited, surprised at herself. Really, what did it matter? Her pajamas were modest, and she already had company.

William looked taken aback, then he let himself into the room, clad in gray sweatpants and a Summerslam t-shirt. It felt odd not to see him in a suit. "I'm sorry," he apologized at once, "I should have kept a closer eye on him."

"He's no trouble," she assured him at once, watching him look for a place to sit. Eugene was taking up the entire spare bed, and the only chair in the room was made of wood, looking too small even for her. Without allowing herself to think about it, she patted the expanse of bed beside her, "Come sit."

Hesitantly, he took a seat on the bed beside her, leaving two full feet of space between them as he leaned against the headboard. Up close, he looked exhausted, and Molly realized how little sleep he must have had between doing the driving and caring for Eugene. Already his eyes were slipping closed.

She sat motionless, mentally willing Eugene to stay quiet as William's head fell back. He'd no doubt be more comfortable lying down, but she didn't want to wake him long enough to get him to move. He'd probably insist on either getting up or on going back to his own room, and she wanted him where she could keep an eye on him and make sure that he was resting. She shook her head at herself, amused. William had almost a foot of height and over a hundred pounds of muscle on her, and yet she was feeling protective of him.

She waited until his breathing had deepened enough to tell her that he was fully asleep, then she slipped out of bed, carrying her workout clothes into the bathroom with her to change. "Eugene, I'm going to go find breakfast. You stay right here and watch _SpongeBob_, okay?"

He nodded, never taking his eyes off the screen, and she let herself out of the room, heading for the lobby where she found a decent continental breakfast awaiting her. She helped herself to a mug of coffee and sat down to people-watch. As far as she could tell none of the other wrestlers were staying here, but there were plenty of businessmen and vacationing families to keep her interest. She got a few glances herself, but no one gave her a second look, which suited her fine. Even her lack of hair didn't pique their curiosity. 'No one cares about my hair,' she realized as she nursed her coffee, 'It truly doesn't matter.'

She spent an hour in the lobby, hoping to give William time to rest before she loaded up a tray with fruit, bagels, and ham, not trusting the pre-made scrambled eggs. More coffee for herself, apple juice for Eugene, and a mug of hot water and an Earl Grey tea bag for William completed the spread, and she chuckled as she pictured his look of distain when she confronted him with the approximation of tea. He'd just have to make do; that was the best they had.

It took some careful balancing to let herself back into the room, and she was relieved to find both men exactly where she'd left them. Placing her tray on the small table, she divided the food up onto paper plates for each of them, placing Eugene's beside him on the bed before putting her hand on William's shoulder. "Breakfast," she called quietly.

He jumped, coming awake instantly, and she jerked back, glad she hadn't been holding anything. He glanced around the room in confusion before his gaze lighted on her. "Sorry," he apologized again, "You should have woken me."

"You needed the sleep," she informed him, handing him the tea. He took a sip automatically and winced, looking down at the cup in disgust. "Your other choice was Lipton's." She laughed as his look of revulsion intensified.

"This will do nicely."

"I thought you'd say that." She put her cup of coffee on the nightstand and sat next to him on the bed, squirming when she found herself sitting on something lumpy. Reaching down, she retrieved the stuffed frog, blushing as she realized she was displaying it.

"Hello, who's this?" William asked, a faint smile on his face as he looked at the frog.

Giving up on any pretense of dignity, Molly introduced him, "This is Mr. Swampy." Knowing how childish she was being, she took his paw in her hand and made him wave at William.

William laughed outright at that, a sound she'd rarely heard, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Swampy," he said with mock seriousness, giving the frog's paw a shake.

Molly placed the frog between them and turned her attention to breakfast, pretending she didn't see William watching her out of the corner of his eye. By the time they'd finished the meal, the _SpongeBob_ marathon had finally ended, and Eugene stirred, coming out of his cartoon trance.

"I suppose it's time we made a start on the day," Regal sighed, "Eugene, you need your workout clothes."

"There's a gym off the lobby. I found it earlier," Molly volunteered as Eugene left the room to follow William's instructions.

"That will make life easier," he acknowledged, rolling his eyes as Eugene burst back into the room, "Shall we?"

They attracted some stares when they reached the gym, but they were mostly accompanied by smiles as Eugene cheerfully greeted everyone. Regal got him set up on a rowing machine while Molly turned her attention to the free weights, carefully examining herself in the mirror. She'd been toying with the idea of going back to blond, but light-colored hair would blend with her skin tone, making her look even more bald.

'William says I look lovely,' she repeated to herself as she continued the workout, trying to banish the negative thoughts. By the time she'd finished her last set, she'd succeeded. Looking around her, she found Eugene using the leg press machine with William keeping a close watch on him from a nearby treadmill. He finished his jog a few moments later, toweling off his bare chest as she approached him.

"He's determined to be a heavy-weight champion," he chuckled, nodding at Eugene.

Molly's attention was caught by something else. Her eyes focused on the narrow red scar between his pectoral muscles. In time it would fade to near invisibility, but for now it stood out starkly under the harsh florescent lights. She reached out, tracing her fingers over the ridge of scar tissue. When William's breath caught, she stopped, placing her hand gently over the mark. "I'm sorry; did that hurt?"

"No," he whispered, his voice sounding hoarse.

"I heard your heart actually stopped," she said, keeping her hand on his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat for herself.

"All part of the plan," he told her. Slowly, his hand moved to cover hers, "I'm fine now."

"I was worried," she confessed, looking up at him. Injuries were common in their line of work but a heart defect like Regal's could have killed him easily even before it was discovered, "I should have come to see you."

"I didn't give you much of a reason to," he admitted, his voice so quiet that she had to move closer to pick up his words.

His chest rose and fell beneath her hand, and Molly realized that her own breathing had taken on the same rhythm. "Why not?"

"Nowinski was so taken with you. He was talented, clever, _young_. The two of you made a good team." Regal's eyes were intent on her face, his pupils so dilated that only a sliver of blue was visible.

"I never thought about Chris like that," she reminded him, the look on his face drawing her closer still until she could feel the heat from his body.

"So you said." William placed a careful hand on her waist. His lips parted slightly as he lowered his head, and Molly instinctively lifted her face to his. "Molly, love..."

A nervous giggle cut through the air, and Molly ducked her head, seeing Eugene staring at the pair of them, his eyes wide. She blushed, realizing just where they were standing. Looking up again at William, she saw his mouth tighten in rueful acknowledgement as he released her, stepping back.

"Come on, lad," he turned his attention to Eugene with forced cheer, "I believe your uncle Eric has a roster meeting scheduled for this afternoon."

Molly spent the rest of the day in a daze, her mind replaying the moment in the gym over and over again. Afterwards, she couldn't have told anyone what Bischoff had said during the meeting if she'd been offered the women's championship and a million dollar raise in exchange. William Regal had nearly kissed her, and even stranger, she'd wanted him to.

For a year, she been assuming that he'd lost interest in her, but it seemed like her impression was wrong. From what he'd said about Chris, it sounded like he'd been getting out of the younger man's way, stepping back so as not to confuse the issue. Far from rejecting her, he'd been sacrificing himself to give her the relationship he thought she'd wanted. It was downright noble.

Dimly, she realized that she, Regal and Eugene were the last people left after the meeting had concluded, everyone else having gone off to prepare for their matches. Eugene seemed blissfully unaware of any tension as he wove his way through the folding chairs, touching the back of each in the exact middle as he passed. William was staring at her.

"Molly," he said carefully, reaching out to touch her hand, then pulling back at the last moment, "I apologize for this afternoon. I was out of line."

She blinked at him in surprise, then registered the rigid set of his shoulders and the distant look in his eyes. "William-"

"I shan't touch you again. You mean a great deal to... Eugene," he stumbled slightly, "I hope this won't change things."

Molly took in the apology, only then realizing that she'd essentially been giving William the silent treatment since their near-miss in the gym. Swallowing a burst of shyness, she leaned forward, unable to look at him fully, "Actually," she said, almost inaudibly until she tried again, "Actually, I hope it changes things a lot."

She darted forward to kiss his cheek, pulling back with a tremulous smile, her eyes shining, as she awaited his response.

Ever so slowly, he lifted his hand to cradle the side of her face, his thumb stroking against her jawline. "They'll change as much as you allow them to," he promised her as she nuzzled into the touch. As her eyes slipped closed, she felt his other hand come to rest on her throat, caressing her pulse point. She tilted her head back in mute appeal, offering him her mouth.

Warm lips brushed against hers in a barely-there touch. Parting her lashes, she saw him watching her, his body held stiffly as if anticipating a rebuke. "Yes," she murmured, offering forgiveness and permission in one word. He took her mouth again, this time kissing her more deeply, his hold on her tightening until she was pressed against his chest, the warm bulk of him against her feeling as comforting as it was arousing.

They broke apart, and Molly realized she'd been twining her fingers through his hair. She laughed suddenly, feeling breathless, "You've got longer hair than I do!"

William pulled a face of mock irritation. "Shouldn't you have other things to concentrate on?"

"Like the fact that Eugene has a match in-" she tilted her wrist where it rested on his shoulder in order to see her watch- "thirty-five minutes?"

"Oh, bugger," he muttered, releasing her at once. Turning, he called to Eugene, "Eugene! Come on, lad, don't dawdle! We have to get you ready."

The young man came along agreeably, and William caught Molly's hand, pulling her along with them. "I quite like these changes," he told her in a soft tone meant for her ears alone as they made their way quickly through the labyrinth of corridors.

She squeezed his fingers, still feeling flushed from their kiss. "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

Three months later Molly found herself standing at ringside, cheering loudly as Eugene used a Stone Cold Stunner to pick up a victory over Carlito. His opponents had been slowly increasing in size and ability since Wrestlemania, but he was holding his own, Regal's training and his own precociousness serving him well. As the bell rang she turned into William's arms, welcoming his kiss as the referee raised Eugene's hand in victory. They had only a moment to themselves before they joined Eugene in the ring, but it was a moment Molly appreciated very much.

If anything it was taking even longer for their relationship to develop than it was for her hair to grow back, but William didn't complain. He seized every available opportunity to kiss her, but he'd never pressed for more than that. For her part, Molly was determined to keep her head and do things right. Her last- and only- previous relationship had ended badly with Spike Dudley seeming to hate the very sight of her, and the last thing she wanted was for history to repeat itself.

Unfortunately, the following day had the power to change everything; William was due for his next scheduled checkup, and everyone was fully anticipating that he'd be cleared to return to the ring. Anything could happen after that. He'd be free to strike out on his own as he made his comeback, perhaps not wanting the burden of Eugene and Molly holding him back. He could even negotiate a transfer to Smackdown to make the break official.

Deep down, Molly found herself hoping that was exactly what would happen. She'd have Eugene to distract her from her loss; it wouldn't be that bad. It would certainly be better than the alternative.

Regal was brutal in the ring. He never backed down from a fight, taking an astonishing amount of punishment in his quest for success. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd seen him bleed over the years, the number of blows he'd taken or the number of times he'd gone crashing chest-first into the turnbuckles.

The scar was still clearly visible on his skin, a daily reminder of what had nearly happened to him. Doctors could be wrong. They'd insisted for months he just had a nasty stomach infection before discovering the real problem. Just because they thought it was safe for him to wrestle didn't mean that it really was.

They'd had to stop his heart.

Even now the thought sent a chill through her. She'd worried about him when it happened, but now she had so much more to lose if things went wrong. Rejection she could handle, but if she lost him to death she wasn't sure she'd ever recover.

"You've not said a word to me since Eugene's match," William said softly, putting his hand on her knee as they made the long drive to the next town, "Have I done something?"

Molly came out of her morbid thoughts, seeing her dark eyes reflected back to her in the car window, her unhappiness clearly visible. "No, just daydreaming," she tried to smile, placing her hand on his to show she wasn't upset with him.

He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the road. "Not a very pleasant daydream to put that frown on your face."

"What are you thinking about tomorrow?" she asked, not really changing the subject.

She caught his searching look before he shrugged slightly. "I was thinking I'd like it if you came with me."

Automatically, she glanced at the back seat where Eugene was sleeping, "What about Eugene? I thought you'd want me to stay with him."

"As long as we let him bring his action figures, he'll be fine," William decided, turning his hand over so he could lace his fingers with hers, "I'd like you with me."

Something in his tone shook Molly out of her self-absorption. "Are you nervous?" she asked, wondering why the thought had never occurred to her.

"A bit," he admitted, "I'm running out of patience with waiting."

She tried to force herself to smile, "You're that eager to get back in the ring."

"Of course." A wry smile crossed his face, "Besides, if I don't start tagging with Eugene soon, he's going to insist on having _you_ as a tag team partner, and I don't see you winning the women's championship with him in tow."

She laughed at the thought. "We could always put a dress on him. He'd do it too."

He made a face, "Been there, love. It wasn't as much fun as it sounds."

Laughing harder at the memory of William in drag during their sojourn in Las Vegas, Molly said teasingly, "I don't know. I thought you looked very fetching as a showgirl!"

He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a kiss in her palm. "I'd much rather see you in spangles and feathers than me."

Molly pretended to consider it. "Well, you do have a birthday next month..."

With a groan, he released her, "Promises, promises."

The silly conversation kept her distracted until they reached their destination and she was curled up in bed with Mr. Swampy. If William was planning to tag with Eugene, he clearly had no plans of going anywhere. A sense of relief swept through her at that. The thought of him rejecting her was survivable in the abstract, but she didn't really want to face the reality. At least this way she'd be able to keep an eye on him and try to keep him from overdoing it.

Even so, she passed a sleepless night, and all too soon she found herself in the doctor's waiting room while William went off for an MRI and exam. Eugene attracted some looks as he sat down on the floor with his action figures, but Molly was grateful for his presence. She couldn't begin to focus on the magazine in her lap, but the match Eugene was staging between HHH and Jericho made her smile.

"One- Two- Jericho just got that shoulder up," she did commentary as the Jericho figure botched a Lionsault and nearly paid the price.

"Miss Holly?" Her head jerked up at the sound of her name, and she beckoned Eugene as a dark-haired nurse smiled at her, "You can come back now."

William was just shrugging on his shirt as they entered the room, and Molly walked straight into his arms. "What's this for?" he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her.

She hugged back fiercely. "Just because you're you." A clatter from behind her as Eugene started to explore cabinets made her step back, but she pressed a tender kiss to the scar on his chest before she dealt with the problem. "Have they said anything?"

"Just waiting for the doctor now," he told her as he did up his buttons, calling Eugene to come and show him the match he'd choreographed. Molly took the seat on his other side, using the excuse of leaning over to see what Eugene was doing to rest her head on his shoulder. His arm went around her at once, pulling her against him, and he didn't release her even when the doctor entered the room. Molly lifted her head but stayed close, feeling the minute trembling that betrayed his nerves.

"Everything looks good," the doctor said at once, and Molly's heart sank. She tried to make sense of the technical jargon that followed, but the only words she clearly understood came at the end of his speech, "So, I don't recommend any Iron Man matches any time soon, but I see no reason not to clear you for action."

"Thank you," William said fervently, releasing her to clasp the doctor's hand. He was beaming, clearly as delighted by this turn of events as she was devastated. As soon as the doctor was out of the room, he was kissing her senseless, and Molly pressed her hand to his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath her fingers. It was beating too hard and too fast, but whether that came from his excitement, the act of kissing her, or a resurgence of his heart problem was more than she could guess.

She tried to manufacture enthusiasm as they left the doctor's office, succeeding well enough that he didn't seem to notice anything was amiss as he left her and Eugene at the arena, bestowing a hasty kiss on her before he went to find Bischoff and report the news.

Eugene was scheduled for a rematch against Carlito that night, and Molly helped him warm up, going through the stretches with him in an effort to work off her own nervous energy. She jumped every time she heard a sound outside the locker room, her tension communicating itself to Eugene, who was getting progressively more worked up.

The sight of his pinched face brought her back to herself, and she bit her tongue hard, using the pain to bring things back into focus. She could make herself as crazy as she wanted but it wasn't fair to do it to him. She shoved a table aside, deciding to channel the energy into something constructive. "Eugene, can you do a cartwheel?''

The answer quickly proved to be 'not really,' but he gave it his best effort. In twenty minutes she'd managed some improvement, and she was just demonstrating what they were going to work on next- a handspring- when the door opened.

"Eugene, I have some bad news," Regal informed him, giving her a broad wink.

"Bad news?" he repeated, sucking at his fingers in dismay.

"I'm afraid you don't have a match against Carlito tonight," William said. He couldn't maintain the downcast expression for long, and Molly could see the dimple on his cheek appear as he continued, "Instead, you and I have a match against Carlito and Chavo."

Eugene made a noise of delight, hopping and clapping his hands, "We're going to be partners!"

"That we are, sunshine." Regal patted him on the back before turning his attention to Molly. With gentle fingers on her chin, he tilted her head back so he could see her face, "What's the matter, love?"

"Isn't having a match tonight rushing things a little?" she asked quietly, trying not to ruin his good mood.

"No ring rust on me," he assured her, nodding at Eugene who was practically skipping with excitement, "Not after training him all this time."

She nodded miserably, her eyes stinging, and William made a soft sound of dismay, "Hey, now, none of that. I'm in the best shape of my career."

Molly put her arms around his waist and pressed close, hiding her face against his chest as tears begin to overflow her eyes. He rubbed her back, whispering soothing words that she was too upset to understand. "Nothing is going to happen, Molly," he promised her, his tone dead-serious, "Eugene and I are going to wrestle, and we're going to win, and I'm going to be fine. You'll see."

She nodded, wiping her face with her hands. Before she could break the embrace, William bent his head to kiss away the tear tracks, bestowing a gentle kiss on her lips as he released her. "Everything will be fine," he told her again, worry and confusion apparent in his eyes.

"How would you feel if it was me?" she asked softly, "If I'd almost died, and I was going to get in the ring with Trish tonight?"

Understanding dawned on his face, "Worried sick," he admitted at once, "I'd want to lock you up until the show was over. Or fight her myself so you didn't have to."

"There you go," she said, managing a tired smile, "Think I could take Chavo?"

He chuckled at the question and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm certain you could. I'll be careful."

"You'd better be," she threatened, pressing her palm to his chest so she could feel the beat of his heart.

Her match was first, and she couldn't bring herself to leave even long enough to change. Instead, she trusted the men to avert their eyes as she got into her ring attire, her own preparations scattered and haphazard. She demurred when William offered to escort her to the ring, encouraging him to review strategy with Eugene, since this would be their first outing as partners. In truth, she felt so muddled that she didn't want him to see the mess she was certain to make of her match.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Christy beat her handily, and Molly couldn't bring herself to care beyond being grateful that there wasn't a title on the line. William looked at her quizzically when she got back, and she mustered a smile, "Everyone is entitled to an off night," she quoted his own words back at him, taking the roll of tape out of his hands to help him with it. Eugene was already eager to go, so she freshened up as quickly as she could before making her way to the curtain with the pair.

"Are you joining us?" William asked as Eugene peeked through the curtains to get a look at the crowd.

"Of course," she told him, burying her nerves as best she could, "I want to be the first to congratulate you two when you win."

She nudged them out first, following a step behind as William's music started to play. Eugene was bouncing, soaking up the crowd's cheers. William waved, his usual smirk displaced by a genuine smile at his return to the ring. After a moment of posing with them in the ring, she gave Eugene a quick hug, then tugged William down into a kiss that earned them a riot of catcalls. Blushing, she trotted down the steps to the floor, pacing her team's side, too nervous to stand still.

William and Carlito locked up to start, William winning the test of strength with ease. and going straight to work on Carlito's left shoulder, controlling the pace of the match. Molly flinched the first time Carlito managed to get in a hit, covering for herself by pounding on the mat to get the audience on William's side. To her surprise considering her own poor showing earlier, it worked, and the crowd was firmly behind Regal for the first time in ages.

Despite his words of confidence, Regal did show some traces of ring rust. His reflexes weren't quite as sharp as they'd been before his illness, a state that nothing but competition would work off. She clapped and shouted encouragement as Carlito slowly started to turn the tables, unleashing a series of chops to William's chest that made the color drain from Molly's face.

Tagging in Eugene, Regal leaned against the ring ropes, breathing hard. Although she was trying not to distract him, Molly couldn't help but move closer, sneaking looks up at him even as she cheered on Eugene, trying to see if he was showing any signs of weakness. He glanced down at her, catching her eye as he gave her an almost- imperceptible nod, and she felt herself relax.

Eugene signaled for a Rock-bottom on Carlito and wound up being clotheslined to the mat instead, his head slamming against the canvas. Molly cringed, but he was up again in seconds, going after Carlito was a ferocity that quickly had him tagging Chavo in. After being caught by a german supplex, Eugene retreated to his corner to give Regal a shot at Chavo. The two men traded blows before settling into a series of submission holds, neither able to subdue the other for long. William's face was darkly flushed by the time he finally managed to reverse an arm bar and lock in the Regal stretch on Chavo.

Chavo strained for the ropes but was unable to break away. Finally, he pounded on the mat, signaling his submission, and Regal released him, getting to his feet as Eugene joined him in the ring. Molly climbed in after him, kissing both men on the cheek with words of congratulations, trying to hide her concern at how hard William was breathing.

She hovered over him as he sat down heavily on a crate backstage, his breathing gradually beginning to return to normal. Despite his evident exhaustion, his eyes were bright as he ran through a play-by-play of the match with Eugene, discussing where they needed to improve for next time.

Seeing her standing over him, William reached for Molly's hand, giving her fingers a squeeze. "Just a bit more out of practice than I thought, love," he assured her, "All's well."

Molly looked at him critically before deciding that he was right. It had been a hard-fought match for his first bout after months of being out of commission. His color was good, his breathing had resumed its regular pattern, and she had no reason to be afraid.

Even so, she insisted on doing the driving back to the hotel although William laughed at her fussing. His eyes were warm as he looked at her, telling her that he was grateful for her concern. He drew the line at permitting her to carry her own bag to her room though.

As Molly showered, she fancied she could feel the tension she'd been carrying washing away in the flow of water. By the time she towel-dried her short hair, she was yawning almost nonstop, wanting nothing more than to throw herself into her bed and sleep for a week.

However, once she closed her eyes all she could see were images of a flushed and out of breath William, her mind leading her down a dark path where a strike landed too hard or he fell at a bad angle or his heart simply gave out mid-match. Rolling over, she stared at Mr. Swampy in the dim light, the frog's gentle stitched smile unable to comfort her. With a pat on the head of farewell, she left him in her room without a second thought, blinking at the harsh light of the hallway before rapping softly on William's door.

She had just enough time to tell herself that she should take herself back to bed and let him rest before the door opened, and William was looking at her in confusion. "Molly?"

"I couldn't sleep," she explained, an embarrassed smile crossing her face.

Without another word, he opened the door further to let her in, and she crept past him into the darkened room, hearing Eugene's soft snores coming from the bed nearest the door. "Did I wake you?" she whispered.

"Not really. I was just drifting off," he assured her, "Did you want to talk?"

Reaching out in the darkness, Molly took his hands, biting her lip. "Actually, I was hoping I could stay here tonight."

For a moment he froze, then his hands tightened on hers. Letting go of her left hand, he tugged gently on her right as he moved farther into the room. "Come to bed, love," he invited, his voice husky.

Molly would have expected the moment to be awkward since she'd never before shared a bed with anyone. Her instincts were telling her that she needed to be close to William though, and she obeyed them, curling up on her side to face him where he lay on his back. Nestling closer, she wrapped one of her legs around his, feeling the heat of his body through the flannel pajama bottoms he wore. His arms went around her, pulling her close as she rested her head on his bare chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"I need you to be okay," she whispered, sliding her arm around his waist to hold him as tightly as he was holding her.

William's fingers carded gently through her hair as he teased her softly, "And why is that?"

Before she had a chance to think about the words, Molly found herself saying them, "Because I love you."

William went still, and Molly closed her eyes in dismay at his reaction. She hadn't been planning to say it, but it was true. Somehow she couldn't quite be sorry she'd made the confession. She meant it, and he deserved to know, even if he didn't return her feelings.

A moment later he was rolling over to face her, his hold on her tightening until she could scarcely draw breath. "Oh, Molly," he breathed unsteadily, bending his neck until his mouth found hers in a tender kiss.

"I guess you're not mad about that then," she said shyly when his lips left hers.

"How could I be?" he asked, his hands roaming over her back as he pressed tiny kisses to her face, "You _know_ how I feel about you."

"I do?" Her brow furrowed, wondering what she'd missed.

"You don't? Molly..." He loosened his grip on her, looking down at her in the dim light. "I've loved you for ages, long before Eugene came on the scene. I only left you because I thought it was Nowinski you wanted, but if you want me..."

"I do," she murmured, unable to stop the smile that was making her face ache. William loved her. They were in love.

"Then I'm yours," he promised simply, "For as long as you'll have me, I'm yours, love."

This times the tears she shed were of happiness as William drew her close. From across the room, Eugene mumbled in his sleep, and Molly giggled. She'd daydreamed any number of romantic scenarios over the years, but somehow she'd never pictured this. Despite that, she couldn't imagine being happier than she was at this moment.

"Get some sleep," she murmured, her practical side reasserting itself. "Tomorrow we're going to work some of the ring rust off of you."

William laughed, moving so that she was resting more comfortably against him. "You're such a romantic."

"I said it first," she reminded him, as he tapped the back of her neck playfully. Scooting a little lower, she positioned herself so that her head was pillowed on his chest, the sound of his steady heartbeat soothing her into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Molly ran her fingers through her hair critically, carefully lifting the blond strands to make sure she hadn't missed anything. The chin-length bob settled around her face, and she nodded in satisfaction. Although the style was shorter than she'd ever deliberately worn her hair, the return to platinum left her feeling more like herself than she had in years. It was amazing how much of a difference a ten dollar box of Clairol could make.

Eugene's eyes went wide as she stepped out of the bathroom, twirling around to show off her new look. "Very nice, love," William complimented her, but Eugene shied back, his brow furrowed.

"It's still me, Eugene," she assured him, "And this hair doesn't come off. Look." She shook her head, feeling the strands brush the sides of her face.

Recognizing her voice, he came closer, patting her hair tentatively. "Hi, Molly," he said at last, and Molly gave him a quick hug, pleased to have solved the problem so easily. Losing interest, Eugene picked up the bottle of water he'd been drinking, tilting it back to take a swig.

"Go out on the balcony if you're going to do that," Regal admonished him from his seat by the window as Eugene lowered the bottle, his head still tilted back in HHH's entrance pose. Eugene swallowed hard, shuffling his feet rebelliously, then he picked up the title belt that Molly had won at Summerslam and obeyed William's instructions, throwing the women's championship belt over his shoulder and doing his best strut out onto the balcony where he could fountain to his heart's content.

"He spends more time with that belt than you do," William said in bemusement as Molly came over to sit on his lap.

"It makes him happy," she reminded him, sighing in contentment when he started to run his fingers through her hair.

Pressing an intimate kiss to her neck, William murmured, "And what makes _you_ happy?"

Molly pretended to consider it as she tilted her head back to give him better access to her throat. "Oh, bunnies, and rainbows, and fast cars, and-" She shivered as blunt teeth nipped gently at her skin, "-and you. Most of all, you."

She was rewarded for that with a real kiss, his hands cradling her face as he explored her mouth, relearning all the sensitive places he'd discovered in the seven months they'd been together. An explosion of noise from the hallway broke the mood, and Molly reluctantly pulled back. "So, did Bischoff say why he wanted to see us?"

"Not a word." William sighed, looking troubled, "I have to admit I'm concerned."

Molly bit her lip, thinking back over their interactions with Bischoff over the past few months. "He's been acting strangely lately. I don't like the way he looks at Eugene. It's like he's plotting something."

"Bischoff is always plotting something," William reminded her.

"Something more evil than usual, I mean."

"At least we don't have a show tonight," he comforted her, "That should give us some time to prepare for whatever he has in mind."

"Unless he's planning to just fire us outright," she said gloomily.

"Hadn't considered that," he admitted, sounding no happier than she was. They sat in silence for a moment, before William stirred, glancing at his watch, "Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Molly climbed off his lap and went to retrieve Eugene, steering him into the bathroom to clean up from his attempts to mimic HHH. When she came out, William draped her belt over her shoulder. "Take it with you. Remind him who he's talking to."

Even with the belt, Molly found it hard to project confidence when the three of them stepped into Bischoff's office to find HHH already waiting there with their general manager. He ignored both her and William, greeting Eugene with a smarmy smile.

"You've been doing such a good job lately, Eugene, I've decided you deserve a reward," Bischoff informed the young man, and Molly tensed at his tone. "How would you like to have a match against HHH at tomorrow night's show?"

"But-"

"He can't-"

She and William began to protest at the same time, but their words were drowned out by Eugene's shriek of delight at the thought of being in the ring with his all-time favorite wrestler.

"That's settles it then," Bischoff announced, grinning broadly. Before Molly's dismayed eyes, HHH escorted Eugene out of the room, his burly arm around the young man's shoulders. Automatically, she started to follow them, only to be brought up short by Bischoff's voice, "Wait just a minute."

She and Regal turned to face him. "And you two are not going to interfere," Bischoff informed them.

"HHH is a monster. He'll kill him!" Molly protested, wondering if Bischoff was truly blind to the dangerous situation he'd created.

"Make it a tag match," William suggested, "Eugene and I against any partner Hunter chooses."

"Why would I want to do that?" Bischoff asked.

"Eugene's just a boy; he's still learning. He doesn't stand a chance against Hunter. You must know that," William spelled it out for him clearly.

"That's the point," Bischoff informed them, "I promised Eugene a job. I never said how long he'd get to keep it. He's an embarrassment, and I want him off my show."

"But he's your nephew," Molly protested, unable to believe the words she was hearing from him.

"That's why I can't fire him. Hunter is willing to take care of the problem for me." Bischoff sounded like he was discussing the weather.

"You want him to quit," William said quietly.

"Why give him the choice?" Bischoff shrugged. "If he's forced to retire, I won't have to worry about him changing his mind."

With horror, Molly realized what he was talking about: Bischoff wanted Eugene injured so badly he'd never wrestle again. "You can't do this!" she exclaimed, darting forward to grab the arm of his leather jacket and shake it, wishing she could shake some sense into him.

Bischoff looked down at the hand she'd placed on his arm, his face twisting with distaste. Returning his gaze to her face, he hissed, "If you ever lay a hand on me again, I'll have you in bra-and-panties gauntlet matches for that title of yours every night for the rest of your career."

Molly froze, taken aback by the pure malice she saw in his eyes. Carefully, she released her hold on his jacket and stepped away as William put his arms around her protectively. "Don't _ever_ speak to her that way again," he rumbled, his accent thickened by stress, losing some of its upper-class polish.

"Or what?" Bischoff sounded bored, "You two have been nothing but trouble for months. You help me get rid of my idiot nephew and I'm willing to forget all that."

He looked at Regal, "How about a shot at the intercontinental title?" His eyes went to Molly, "I bet you'd look great in a ladder match. Give everyone a chance to see just what you can do."

He held their gaze for a moment longer, then turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk, "Think it over," he advised, the words clearly a dismissal.

William caught her arm, hustling her out of Bischoff's office before she could start yelling at his casual cruelty. They found Eugene in the hall talking excitedly to HHH who was pretending to be interested, oozing with false sincerity. "Come along, Eugene," William beckoned, ignoring the younger man's protests as he nearly dragged him to the car.

Eugene was too excited to notice the tension in the car during the short ride back to the hotel. He babbled happily about how nice HHH had been to him, interrupting his own monologue only long enough to exclaim at the Disney characters plastered on the billboards dotting Orlando's highways.

"HHH says everyone who gets in the ring with him is a star and- Mickey!" he cried out, spotting the cartoon mouse on a sign for the Magic Kingdom.

An idea struck Molly and she turned around in her seat. "Would you like to go to Disney World, Eugene?" she asked. When he nodded, she continued desperately, "We could go tomorrow, and-"

"No," he shook his head, "Have a match."

"Good effort," William murmured, his eyes fixed on the congested road. "We could probably make it to Tallahassee before we run out of gas."

"And get sued for breach of contract as soon as someone catches up to us," Molly reminded him.

"Well, yes, there is that."

They lapsed into silence again. Molly's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to keep the match from happening. Eugene would never quit on his own, not when he had the promise of a match with HHH dangling before him. Even if they could manufacture an injury for him, Bischoff was likely to insist on him getting in the ring anyway.

"Get changed," Regal advised Eugene as they got back to their shared hotel room, "We want you in tip-top shape for tomorrow."

"Do you have an idea?" Molly asked him, as Eugene disappeared into the bathroom with his workout clothes.

"I'm going to teach him every dirty trick I know and hope he uses them tomorrow." Regal sighed, "Even though he won't."

"Hunter isn't superman. He's been beaten before." Molly's eyes lit on the laptop on the desk. "While you're doing that, I'm going to look at some of his old matches and see what moves have worked on him. Eugene's good at copying finishers."

"Excellent idea, love," he praised her, opening the door for Eugene as he and Molly exchanged hopeful looks.

By the end of the day, Molly was feeling considerably less hopeful. HHH might not be superman, but his frequent claims to be god weren't totally far-fetched. He was a dominant competitor, losing matches only rarely and against overwhelming odds. Even with the deck stacked against him, he usually emerged victorious. Eugene didn't have a prayer of winning this match.

She kept coming back to the same man as she reviewed match tapes. Shawn Michaels was Hunter's oldest friend and greatest rival. If anyone had a move who could beat him, he did. Eugene had been developing more coordination as she taught him some gymnastic moves. Could he master Sweet Chin Music in less than a day?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She joined them in the gym where Regal had Eugene dripping with sweat and dismayed as he worked on showing him how to execute a low blow that the referee wouldn't see and an eye gouge disguised as a simple strike to the face.

He brightened when he saw her, and Molly started in immediately. "Eugene, how high can you kick?"

She shared her findings with William as Eugene demonstrated, showing more flexibility than she'd dared to hope for. "It's our best option," he agreed, "I couldn't even get him to put the brass knuckles on."

"You still have those?" she asked in surprise. He hadn't used them since his leave of absence.

"If you get yourself into trouble, I'm not going to risk fighting fair," he told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning his attention back to Eugene.

All three of them were worn-down by the time Regal finally called a halt to the practice, hours later. Eugene actually seemed to be getting worse at the superkick instead of better, leaving him with no real defense against HHH. They ate in silence, the other inhabitants of the dining room giving them a wide berth, and when they finally got back to the room, Eugene collapsed face-down on his bed, already snoring.

Molly pulled off his shoes and tossed a blanket over him before getting herself changed. "He's going to get eaten alive," she said in despair as she climbed into bed beside William.

"It doesn't look good," he agreed with typical British understatement.

"What are we going to do?"

With her head resting on his chest, she felt his sigh as much as she heard it. "We'll keep practicing."

Monday morning dawned bright and clear, but only Eugene's mood matched the sunny day. William and Molly grimly went through with their preparations for the day before taking Eugene to the arena early, hoping to get in some practice time in the ring before the show started.

"Again." Regal put him through his paces, careful not to tire him out, but trying to prepare him for anything Hunter might throw at him. Some of their nerves were starting to rub off on Eugene as he became quieter and less tractable as the practice went on. Finally he retreated to a corner of the ring, his leg bouncing nervously as he refused to communicate with Regal.

With a helpless look at Molly, William stepped back to give him some room, and Molly climbed into the ring herself. "Eugene? Are you-"

Eugene's foot smashed into her jaw knocking her flat. Pain exploded along the side of her face, and Molly curled in on herself, moaning as her vision grayed out for a moment.

"Molly? _Molly_?" William's hands were gentle on her face as he tried to see how badly she was injured. He crouched over her, his face panicked, fingers trembling as they explored her jaw.

Using his arm as a support, Molly sat up, her ears ringing. Wincing, she swallowed a mouthful of blood, realizing she'd bitten her tongue. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, relieved that everything still seemed to work. Probing around with her swollen tongue, she established that she still had all of her teeth, and she gave William a reassuring smile before turning her attention to Eugene who was sitting opposite of her on the mat, tugging at his hair with both hands.

"Sorry, Molly. I'm sorry. Sorry..." he babbled, rocking himself for comfort.

"It's okay, Eugene," she assured him before turning to William and saying calmly, "Well, at least now we know he can superkick."

He stared at her in disbelief for a second before chuckling and pulling her close, still shaking. "That we do, love. Maybe now he has a chance."


	5. Chapter 5

Molly watched from her position on the locker room bench as William spoke quietly with Eugene, giving him a pep talk. She removed the ice pack from her face, wincing as she probed her jaw. She was already developing a livid bruise that was going to earn her some odd looks, but at least the ice was keeping her injury from swelling too badly.

Replacing the ice pack, she tried to think optimistically. She wasn't nearly as tall as Hunter, but if he were leaning over, Eugene should be able to kick high enough to get his face. They only needed him immobilized for three seconds. Best of all, it was a weapon HHH wouldn't be expecting.

All too soon it was time for Eugene's match, and she tried to hide her nerves as they made their way to the curtain. Careful makeup couldn't quite hide the bruise on her jaw, so she'd chosen a full-skirted green sundress that was more low-cut than her usual wont in an effort to keep attention off of her face. William certainly seemed to appreciate it.

"You look breathtaking," he murmured, pulling her into an embrace and resting his cheek against her hair as they watched Eugene bounce eagerly as he waited for his cue.

"I suppose I could try to distract Hunter," she remarked, wondering if she'd have the nerve to engage him.

Regal growled softly, "I'll kill him if he lays a finger on you." Releasing her, he put his hand into his jacket pocket, displaying the brass knuckles. "Proper planning, love."

She leaned up for a kiss of reassurance before Eugene's music started, and the moment could no longer be put off. They followed him to the ring, Molly doing her best not to look too funereal as they took their places at ringside to watch the match unfold.

Even so, she flinched at the sound of HHH's music, and she was grateful for William's steady presence at her back. Eugene applauded enthusiastically as Hunter did his water-spitting routine, his face alight with joy at being in the ring with his idol.

At first luck appeared to be on their side. Eugene went into action as the bell rang, and Hunter staggered back under his onslaught of chops, falling victim to a drop toe-hold. Molly cheered, the ache in her jaw forgotten as Eugene pressed his advantage and went for a cover.

At that moment, everything changed. Hunter didn't just kick out of the pin attempt, he threw Eugene off of him so hard that the young man landed several feet away. Getting to his feet, HHH's face contorted into a scowl as he invited Eugene to come at him again. When he did, HHH sidestepped him with ease, putting a hand on his back to add momentum as he flung him through the ropes to the floor.

"He was playing with him!" she gasped in dismay as she and William sprinted around the ring to try to help Eugene. Before they could get there he was back on his feet and trying to climb back into the ring when Hunter kicked him hard in the face, knocking him back out.

"One! Two!" The referee began the ten count that demanded Eugene get back in the ring, and Molly caught his arm as he stumbled back to his feet.

"Eugene, stay here!" she pleaded, "The match doesn't matter."

Clearly to Eugene the match was the only thing in the world that did matter. He shook off her hold, charging back into the ring. Hunter actually permitted him to slide back in as the referee reached seven, but that was the only quarter he was willing to give. A powerbomb followed a spinebuster, Eugene's body as limp as a rag doll.

HHH picked the smaller man up by his hair, positioning him for the devastating Pedigree that would end the match, and probably Eugene's career. His head crashed against the mat with a sickening thud, and Eugene lay still at the edge of the mat as Hunter moved to cover him.

Regal called to him from the outside of the ring, trying to see if he was still conscious. Eugene flailed weakly in an attempt to get out of the pinning predicament, his foot landing on the ropes.

The color drained out of Molly's face as she saw what he'd done. If the referee noticed it, Hunter would be forced to drop the pin attempt, and the punishment would continue. Without thinking further, she leapt onto the side of the ring, meaning to knock Eugene's foot back down and put an end to this slaughter.

She was too late. The referee saw where Eugene's foot had landed before she could do anything about it, and he shook his head, waving his arms to direct Hunter to release him. "Stop, please!" she shouted at him, gesturing at Eugene who was moaning weakly, "He can't take anymore!"

The referee turned to the timekeeper to discuss the situation, and Hunter's eyes met Molly's in a cold stare. A large hand fisted in her hair, yanking her over the top rope to land hard on her back inside the ring. "Leave him alone!" she cried as she got back to her feet, but for the moment, HHH wasn't interested in Eugene. He slapped her across the face, the blow doubling her over, and Molly found her arms being twisted behind her back as he prepared to execute his finisher on her.

Molly struggled desperately, able to free one arm from his grasp. Acting on instinct, she brought her forearm up sharply, hitting him as hard as she could between the legs. He released her, stumbling back, and she landed on the mat, her skirt hitched up around her thighs. Oblivious to her undignified position, she saw William lunge at Hunter, and a glint of metal on his left hand told her what he was planning a heartbeat before his fist slammed into HHH's nose.

Blood gushed down his face, and Regal grabbed Molly, pulling her out of the ring with him as he bellowed, "Now, Eugene!"

Safely cradled in William's arms, she saw Eugene get to his feet, looking around in confusion before seeing Hunter hunched over, looking at the blood on his hands in disbelief. In a flash, he'd superkicked HHH, knocking the larger man flat. The crowd screamed in delight as the referee spun around just in time to make the count as Eugene pinned HHH.

Tears of relief ran down Molly's face as the referee raised Eugene's hand in victory. He was beaming, pride evident in every line of his body as he realized he'd actually beaten his idol. William placed her carefully back on her feet, yanking her against him in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Stop the music!" Bischoff's voice echoed through the arena as Eugene's music was cut off. "Let's see that again," he continued in an ominous voice.

In the ring, HHH was getting to his feet, his face twisted with rage, a murderous scowl directed at Eugene. William climbed into the ring, placing himself between the two men, Molly right behind him. On the Titantron, a replay of the last moments of the match began, and the crowd hooted as on-screen, Eugene succeeded in superkicking and pinning HHH.

"Not _that_!" Bischoff yelled, and the footage blurred, then went black as the production team tried to figure out what he wanted. HHH climbed out of the ring in disgust at the crowd's jeers, and a moment later, the video reappeared, this time showing Molly being hauled into the ring as she pleaded with the referee to stop the match.

She clung to William's arm, feeling him trembling with rage as they saw HHH hit her, then pull her into position for the Pedigree. The tables turned as in rapid succession Molly's low blow, Regal's loaded punch, and Eugene's superkick all connected, leading to the pin.

"We have _rules_ in this federation!" Bischoff announced, the statement so patently absurd that even Eugene looked at him strangely, "Do your job, ref, if you want to keep it."

The referee looked from Eugene to Bischoff and back before turning and beckoning to Lillian. Hunter returned to the ring, one arm held behind his back, glaring at the referee until he reluctantly approached Hunter and raised his other hand, Lillian spoke into her microphone, "The winner of this match as a result of a disqualification- HHH!"

Molly took comfort in the fact that the crowd nearly booed the house down, but her pleasure was short-lived as Bischoff got back on the mic, "Eugene, I never wanted to do this, but you've left me no choice. You three are _fired_!"

She didn't even have time to be horrified by the turn of events, because at that moment HHH turned to face them, a smirk clear on his face as he revealed what he'd been hiding behind his back. The sledgehammer was held confidently in his hands, and he hoisted it up, looking at its heavy length in appraisal. At the sight William shoved Molly behind him, shielding her with his body as he stared Hunter down.

She nearly screamed as she felt arms seize her from behind, then she realized security was flooding the ring, taking hold of her, Eugene, and William as though they were the ones who were a threat. HHH backed away, looking somewhat disappointed as Bischoff shouted, "Now,_ get these three_ _the hell out of my ring_!" At that Molly found herself being hustled up the ramp and down the corridors of the arena, the other wrestlers staring in disbelief.


	6. Chapter 6

The muggy air of the parking lot hit Molly like a blow as she was shoved out the door, William and Eugene a step behind her. She turned to see the arena door slam shut in her face, and she sat down on the pavement, feeling chilled despite the warm night air.

Eugene collapsed beside her, his face buried in his hands as he moaned wordlessly in dismay. Only Regal was left standing, his hands shoved into his pockets as he stared down at them. "You-" his voice cracked, and he started again, "You're going to get your pretty dress all dirty, love."

Ignoring him, Molly flopped back on the sidewalk until she was lying flat, her hands raised to her aching head. "What just happened?"

Beside her, Eugene moaned again, and William sighed, "I can't think of a way to answer that without sounding facetious." He tried the arena door, knocking when he found it locked. A security guard opened it enough to see who was on the other side, then slammed the door in his face once again.

Molly felt warmth against her face and assumed she was crying although she felt too shell-shocked to do so. The warmth spread, and she groaned as she realized it had started to rain, "Perfect."

"At least it's Orlando, and not Anchorage," William reminded her, sitting down on the curb near her head, and placing his hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Dudes." A new voice joined them, and Molly blinked up, seeing RVD looking down at her. She twisted her neck, trying to get him to appear right-side up. "You're going to get wet."

"So are you," she pointed out without bothering to sit up. Her nose wrinkled as a strange smell reached it, and she looked at him more closely, seeing what she assumed was a cigarette cupped loosely in his right hand. That didn't explain the smell though.

"Yeah," RVD said sagely, nodding as though she'd said something deep. He took another draw on the 'cigarette' and Molly blushed as she realized what he was holding. Seeing her looking, he wordlessly proffered the joint.

"No. Thank you," she added politely, realizing it might be a good idea to sit up so he could get around her if he wanted to. She slumped back until she was leaning against William, back to back. Feeling as though she should explain, she continued, "We just got fired."

RVD's brow furrowed as he digested that, "Aren't you champion?"

"Yes, she is," William answered him.

"Cool," RVD nodded, "Bet Bischoff's going to feel stupid when he realizes that."

"He'll probably strip me of the title," she said gloomily.

"Yeah, maybe," RVD agreed, "So, are you guys waiting here to beat him up or what?"

Behind her, Molly could feel William tense like he was considering it. "No," she denied, "We just want to go back to our hotel."

RVD waited politely, apparently wanting to know how sitting on the sidewalk in the rain was part of that plan. "Our stuff's inside," Molly told him, "And they won't let us back in."

He nodded, thinking that over. After a moment he offered, "Want me to get it?"

"Yes, please," she answered at once, William's voice chiming in with hers.

"Cool." Pinching out the joint, RVD tucked it behind his ear, rapping sharply on the arena door. When the security guard cracked it, he spoke, "Dude, let me in. It's raining out here."

He disappeared inside without a backward glance. "He's nice," she decided aloud once the door had shut behind him.

"Hopefully, he won't forget what he's to be doing."

Molly scooted around so that she was sitting next to William on the curb, resting her head on his shoulder. She tried to think positively, "At least we're all okay."

Eugene whimpered, and William brushed gentle fingers over the bruise on her face. "More or less."

"How's Eugene?" she asked quietly. The rain was starting to pick up now, plastering her hair to her head and soaking her cotton sundress. Shivering, she pressed closer to William.

For a moment, he leaned away, and Molly frowned before she realized he was removing his suit jacket. He wrapped it around her, and she caught the lapels to pull it tighter, snuggling into the warm fabric, the faint scent of his cologne soothing her senses. Once he was satisfied she was as bundled up as he could make her, his arm went around her, pulling her against him. "Better, love?" he murmured, before turning his attention to her question, "Bruised and upset, but I don't think he's too badly hurt. I can't tell if he's concussed, but Hunter didn't succeed in breaking his back."

"Not for lack of trying," Molly muttered, still seeing the beating HHH had given Eugene in her mind's eye. The images were replaced with the picture of Bischoff's furious face bellowing at them, and she flinched. "William, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to go back to the hotel to get Eugene checked out and you warmed up," he said at once, "After that, I don't know."

"This all of it?" RVD"s voice startled her out of her contemplation, and she half-turned as he dropped a pile of bags onto the sidewalk beside them. She rustled through them quickly, not noticing anything out of place. More importantly, she found William's keys to their rental car, which she handed him in relief.

"No, I think this is it. Thanks, Rob," she looked up with a genuine smile and blinked in surprise when he handed her the women's championship belt.

"It was in Bischoff's office. Don't think he's the champ," RVD informed her with a faint smile.

Her eyes went wide at the realization he'd swiped it from Bischoff. For a moment, she considered giving it back, then reconsidered. Really, what was the worst thing Bischoff could do? He'd already fired them. Still clad in William's jacket, she leapt to her feet, throwing her arms around him in a grateful embrace. "You're awesome."

He nodded as she released him, agreeing, "I'm Rob Van Dam." Molly laughed as he gave William a nod, "Good seeing you, Regal. You too, little buddy." He patted Eugene on the head like a dog.

With a wave he headed back over to the door, calling out, "Later, Molls," before returning to the shelter of the arena. Molly shook her head in bemusement, wondering why she'd never before noticed how kind he could be.

"That was really nice," she marveled, turning to help William pull Eugene off the sidewalk.

"He's not such a lout after all," he agreed, shouldering their bags as Molly led Eugene to the car. The young man started to revive a bit once they pulled out of the parking lot, and by the time they'd gone three blocks, he was once again focused on naming the characters on Disney billboards.

Molly twisted in her seat so she could take a look at him, then turned to William. "He seems okay."

"I'll check his pupils once we have some light," he decided, "He sounds normal enough. Normal for him, at any rate"

Sinking back into the passenger seat, Molly enjoyed the heat that was starting to dry out her dress and hair, no doubt turning it into a frizzy mess. Fortunately, the hallways of the hotel were deserted once they finally made it back. Between her appearance and the raw feeling of being unemployed, she couldn't bear to face anyone.

It was with a sigh of relief that she closed the door behind them once they were safely ensconced in their room, using every lock they had to shut out the outside world. By the time she'd finished, William was completing his check of Eugene, and he glanced up at her as he shooed the younger man into the bathroom to get ready for bed. "He'll be fine."

"Good." She picked up the remote, pointing it at the television before hesitating, "Do we want to know what's going on?"

Glancing at the clock, William shook his head, "The show's nearly over. It's late, love. It will still be waiting for us tomorrow."

"It's not like we have anything else to do," she sighed. For years she'd spent nearly every day on the road traveling from one show to the next. Suddenly, she had nowhere to be, and she felt cut adrift. Maybe she should find a hobby.

"We all need some sleep. That's quite enough for now," he said practically, handing over her bag and nudging her to go get changed as Eugene reentered the room.

Molly focused on the present moment. Pajamas. Bed. Rest. William was right: tomorrow would still be waiting for them tomorrow. Maybe it would look brighter after a good night's sleep. She pulled on her warmest pajamas, still feeling chilled. Looking at herself in the mirror, she took in her pale skin and dilated pupils. Shock, she diagnosed. She'd always considered herself to be fairly stalwart, but getting kicked by Eugene, smacked around by HHH and fired all in a matter of hours was a lot to ask anyone to handle.

As she left the bathroom to crawl into bed beside William, she saw that Eugene was going through his bag, finally upending it to free all of his action figures from its depths. William kissed the top of her head, pulling her close and rubbing her arms to try to warm her up while Eugene sorted through his toys. He picked up his favorite HHH figure, looking at it for a long moment before frowning and tossing it across the room. Molly hid a smile then blinked in surprise as she caught sight of a blue-clad figure with plastic blond hair. "Is that me?"

Holding up the figure, Eugene proclaimed, "Molly Holly!"

"Where'd you get that, Eugene?" she asked, certain she'd never seen him with it before.

"eBay," William answered her, adjusting her so that she was leaning back against his chest, "You're quite expensive, love."

"But I'm worth it," she answered impishly, grinning at him over her shoulder, gasping softly as he stole a kiss, his tongue caressing hers.

"Always," he murmured.

Eugene dug out his RVD figure, sitting it on the nightstand and lying the Molly figure across his legs. "Hey, none of that," William scolded him, "She doesn't like him _that_ well."

Looked from Regal to the dolls, Eugene giggled. Digging through his pile until he found a figure wearing a suit, he picked up the Molly and Regal figures, pressing their plastic faces together and making kissing noises.

"Don't be cheeky," William reproved, but Molly could hear a hint of a laugh in his voice.

"I think they have the right idea," she said, tuning around until she was straddling his thighs and leaning in for a proper kiss which he responded to with gratifying haste. Artlessly, she pressed closer, her breasts against his chest, so close she could feel the beat of his heart. Her world had come apart at the seams, but she still had William, and she'd never needed him more.

His hand stole into her hair as he plundered her mouth, his tongue stroking intimately against hers. She arched against him as his fingers trailed down her back, pulling her tighter against him until she could feel his hard length pressing against the hollow between her legs.

Molly pulled back, gasping at this obvious sign of his desire for her. "Sorry, love," William murmured, rubbing her back as he took a few deep breaths, his face pained.

She rested her head against his shoulder, blushing as she realized Eugene was watching them in amazement. "Go to sleep, Eugene," she suggested, her voice husky. As he obediently climbed under the covers, she blushed brighter as she realized that if he wasn't in the room, she would be perfectly happy to continue what she and William had started. She'd always assumed she'd wait until her wedding night, but what if William didn't want to marry her? They'd never even discussed it.

He loved her though, and she loved him. The thought that there was any part of him that she didn't know, any distance left between them, made her soul hurt. Making her decision, she pressed against him again, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned in for another kiss, this time taking the lead herself and finding the places in his mouth that made him clutch her tighter. She released him long enough to draw breath, saying thoughtfully against his lips, "I think we need to start getting our own room."

He groaned, bearing her back onto the bed until she was pinned beneath him and seizing her mouth again. His body was heavy on hers, making Molly feel as though she was sheltered from the universe. When she twined her leg around his, he moaned again, releasing her to roll onto his back, breathing hard. "You're going to be the death of me."

Frowning, Molly rested her head on his heaving chest, placing her hand over the faded scar. "Don't joke about that."

He kissed her hair soothingly. "I do feel I should apologize though."

"Why?" She looked up at him, blushing at the memory of her own wantonness, "As I recall I did start it."

He laughed, the sound rumbling through her. "That you did, and I'm quite pleased about it." The light in his eyes faded as he sobered, "That's not what I meant though. If I hadn't gotten you into all of this mess with Eugene, you'd still have a job."

Molly darted a quick look over at Eugene, relieved to see that he was asleep. She chose her words carefully, "Probably, but what difference does that make? Before I joined up with you two, I was just drifting. I worked out; I wrestled, and I slept, and that's about it. You and Eugene gave me a place to belong. That's more important than any job."

His arms tightened around her until she was fully on top of him, his chin resting on the crown of her head. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, Molly?" he asked her, his voice rough.

Enchanted, she closed her eyes, focusing on his words, "Tell me."

"You're a perfect mixture of softness and strength. Every instinct I have tells me to protect you, but most of the time you protect yourself. You don't need anyone, but you've _chosen_ me. I can't tell you how proud that makes me. You give of yourself with such generosity- to Eugene, to me- that nothing I can do in return could ever be enough." He pressed a long kiss to her hair, and Molly felt silent tears running down her face at his declaration. "I couldn't get through a day without your smile to light my way."

Molly sniffled, her tears splashing against his chest, and William adjusted his hold on her so that he could see her face. "I've upset you," he said in dismay.

"No," she denied, wiping at her eyes, "You've made me really happy."

"You mean everything to me, love," he murmured, placing a tender kiss on her lips.

Molly swallowed hard, then confessed, "I do need you. I feel so safe knowing you've got my back. I was so unhappy for so long... I would have fallen apart by now if it wasn't for you."

"I'm yours," he vowed, "For as long as you want me."

She nestled closer in contentment. "I always will."


	7. Chapter 7

Molly's peaceful slumber was broken by the sound of pounding. She rolled out of bed and to her feet, still half-asleep, wondering if they were under siege. Once she finally managed to focus, she spotted Eugene standing by the glass doors leading to the balcony, slamming his fist into the glass again and again. "Eugene!" she shouted as William tried to get his arms around the younger man in a bear hug, struggling to immobilize him without hurting him as Eugene fought to free himself.

"Eugene, calm down!" she ordered, trying to stay calm herself, but his outburst had caught her off-guard. A flailing arm nearly got her in the face, and she stepped back hastily, speaking louder to make herself heard over his wordless cries of distress. "Eugene, it's all right! You have to calm down. Settle down, Eugene!"

William finally managed to lock in the hold, but Eugene continued to struggle, his eyes wild. "Are you upset about last night? Is that what's wrong?" she asked, moving closer once again, now that he was no longer likely to hit her by accident, "There's nothing to worry about. It's just a little vacation, that's all."

Looking down, she noticed that he had something clenched in his fist, and she pried his fingers open to free the Triple H action figure that he'd been striking against the door. "We don't need _this_ anymore," she announced, tossing the plastic figure into a nearby trash can, wishing the real Hunter was as easy to dispose of. Eugene was mewling, rather like a cat in pain, and Molly spoke quickly, seeking to distract him, "Now, let's think of something we can do today. We're having a vacation, so we should do something fun. Can you think of something fun to do, Eugene?"

Her voice was bright and manic, like an over- stressed children's show presenter. William's eyes met hers in silent gratitude when Eugene ceased to fight, evidently focused on answering Molly's question. He didn't release him yet, not trusting the young man's apparent compliance, but he did ease his grip, his body tensed to react if Eugene made any sudden movements.

Mouth moving in silent but intent thought, Eugene relaxed, some of the rage ebbing out of him. Molly saw his eyes clear as a thought struck him, and he looked up eagerly, "Mickey!"

Sensing his change in mood, William let his arms drop, freeing Eugene, who remained where he was, his face alight with excitement. "Mickey?" William repeated, not following the sudden change of topic.

It took Molly a moment to figure out what he was referring to, then she nodded in understanding. "Mickey," she repeated, then lifted her head to look at William, "Yesterday... I suggested we go to Disney World." She found herself oddly reluctant to say the words, not sure how he'd react to them. She had a hard time imagining the dignified William Regal at a child's amusement park.

He didn't even blink. "Then I suppose we're going to Disney World."

Eugene shrieked with delight, making both of them jump, his earlier distress seemingly forgotten. Molly knew that they wouldn't be able to keep him distracted forever, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they could just keep him busy until they had time to formulate a plan. With any luck, they'd be able to discuss it at the park.

She shook her head a little as she went to dress for the day, seeing herself in an imaginary television commercial, 'Molly Holly, you've just been beaten up and fired. What are you going to do now?' "I'm going to Disney World!" she answered under her breath.

Well, why not? After years on the road, she deserved a vacation.


	8. Chapter 8

It didn't take long for Molly to realize that there wouldn't be any opportunity for her and William to discuss their options. She'd been to Disney World once as a child, but she didn't remember the park being quite so sprawling. Mostly, she remembered Bob trying to avoid her and Crash, but the day had felt magical anyway. At the moment she just felt overwhelmed.

By the time they reached the castle, she was stressed from trying to dodge hordes of people, sweat was trickling down the side of her face, and her feet were aching in her sandals. Even William was starting to wilt a bit in his tailored suit. Beside her, Eugene was bouncing with excitement, trying to look everywhere at once. She looked from the map in her hands to their surroundings, William's solid form protecting her from the rush of humanity. At last she spoke, feeling like she had her bearings, "All right, Adventureland is that way," she pointed to the left of the castle and worked her way around, "Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Toontown, and Tomorrowland." She ended by pointing at a path that led to rock work with whirling spaceships in the distance, which reassured her that she'd gotten it right.

William shrugged and gestured left. "Shall we start here and make our way clockwise?"

"Works for me," she answered, sticking the map into her purse and making sure they had Eugene between them as they set off. The day was sticky, and the lines were long, but Molly soon found herself caught up in the park's charm. Eugene was delighted by everything, exclaiming happily over the fake elephants on the Jungle Cruise and the singing birds in the Tiki Room. The first few times he squealed with pleasure, Molly had looked around, concerned that they were disrupting others. They were on the receiving end of a few looks, but without fail the looks were indulgent, complete strangers smiling at the trio. Even his shrieks of terror at the drop on Splash Mountain didn't seem to visibly annoy anyone.

"Are you all right, Eugene?" she asked anxiously as soon as they were off the ride. He nodded warily, sucking at his fingers and looking from her to the mountain and back. "We don't have to go on it again."

"Thank God," William muttered, and she glanced over at him, choking back a laugh at the fastidious way he was trying to brush away the water that had soaked his suit. He removed his tie, wringing it out with a look of disgust before folding it into a bundle and stuffing it into his pocket.

His hair was getting long, Molly noticed for the first time, seeing the way the humidity was making the wet tendrils wavy. Or maybe he had naturally wavy hair; she frowned when she realized she didn't know. Either way he looked wet and rumpled and irritated and thoroughly adorable. She stole a quick kiss, for a moment ignoring the impatient Eugene who was hopping from one foot to the other, chanting, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

By the time they reached the Country Bears, she'd started to relax and simply enjoy Eugene's obvious pleasure in the day. She slumped back on a bench in the theater, taking a deep breath of cool air as William's arm came to rest behind her on the bench, his thumb gently stroking her upper arm. "This is nice," she murmured as the animal heads on the wall started to bicker.

He pressed a soft kiss to her hair, as Eugene leaned forward, enraptured by the singing animals. He clapped along with the songs, and Molly joined him, smiling to herself as William tapped her arm in rhythm. She even heard him chuckle at some of the songs' sillier lyrics. Nestling closer, she smiled to herself. Whether Disney was William's cup of tea or not, he was certainly doing his best to show willing. She closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling her heart swell a bit more with love for him.

She pulled away reluctantly as the show ended, catching his hand in hers as they left the theater. The bright sun hurt her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to clear them, finding herself staring at an enormous bear. She jumped a little before her mind placed him as one of the bears from the show.

Eugene wasn't as fortunate. His nerves already frayed from the flume ride, being confronted by a bear was too much for him. He let out an incoherent shout of panic and darted back into the restaurant they'd just come through, slamming into a woman carrying a tray of drinks and knocking her to the floor. William took off after him, trying to catch him before he could do any more damage, leaving Molly to deal with the current fallout.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she babbled, on the verge of tears as she crouched down to help the fallen woman, "Are you hurt? Let me help you with that. I'm so sorry; I'll replace everything. Can I get you something?"

A Disney employee had already appeared with a towel and cleaning supplies, and Molly helped the woman to her feet, looking at her anxiously, still stammering out apologies. "It's all right," the woman reassured her, "It was an accident. These things happen. You're more upset about it than I am."

Molly looked from the woman to the shadowed corner where William had caught up to Eugene, talking to him intently as the smaller man tugged at his hair in dismay. His face was hidden by shadows, but she could easily imagine the look on it. Her heart sank. They been having such a nice day.

"Eugene's... special," Molly explained, "He didn't mean to. He'd never hurt anyone."

The woman nodded, "I have a nephew like that; I understand." She followed Molly's gaze to where William was attempting to calm Eugene. "I think it's nice that you and your husband try to do things with him." By this time, the employee had cleaned up the mess, and replaced the woman's drinks, leaving Molly feeling strangely useless.

Molly's mouth opened to explain their relationship, then decided it would take too long. She settled for saying, "We try," before looking at the soda stains on the woman's tee shirt, "At least let me buy you a new shirt to wear."

The woman clucked in disapproval, "Don't you worry about it. Besides, on a hot day like this the cold feels good. Good luck," she said warmly, picking up her new tray of drinks and continuing on to her original destination.

"I think we're all right now," William said softly, coming up behind her with Eugene in tow. The young man looked out the door, checking the street outside. "Is it still out there?"

"He's dancing," Eugene nodded, and Molly looked over his shoulder to the little show that was happening outside. Teenagers dressed as cowboys danced around a wagon, accompanied by half a dozen bears.

"We can wait until they leave," she offered, the thought of sitting down for a few minutes suddenly very attractive. Eugene shook his head, moving deliberately outside, closer to the bears. She and William followed him, unconsciously adopting identical stances, poised to grab him if he tried to bolt again.

The bear who'd frightened him before did a twirl, ending up facing them. He stepped out of the circle of dancers, giving them a hesitant wave, but not getting too close. "Do you want to go say hi?" Molly asked Eugene.

He nodded, slowly moving closer to the bear. Molly winged a quick prayer heavenward that he wasn't going to attempt a Stunner on the poor kid in the costume as they approached him. The bear held very still, making little gestures with its paws to indicate harmlessness. Once they were within arms' reach, Eugene reached out and tentatively patted it on the forearm.

"See, he won't hurt you," William told him. Around them the show had broken up and small children were mobbing the other bears, demanding hugs and pictures. Molly was impressed by the patience this bear was showing Eugene.

"He's just like a big teddy bear," she told him, reaching in her purse for her camera, "Only he dances," she added as an afterthought. Eugene moved a little closer, patting the bear more firmly. Slowly, making its movements obvious, the bear reached up and ruffled his hair.

When Eugene giggled, Molly let out a sigh of relief, lifting the camera to take a picture as Eugene gave the bear a hug. Smiling at the scene, she nudged William, "Why don't you get in there too?"

He turned a look of disbelief on her, then did as she asked, standing stiffly next to the pair, not touching the bear. Playfully, the bear put its arm around William's shoulders and yanked him off balance, Molly capturing his surprised expression on film.

The caravan started to move out, and the bear blew Molly a kiss before bestowing a last hug on Eugene and turning to join the others. Eugene waved, watching it until it was out of sight, then wrapping William in an enormous hug. "Thank you," he chirped, and William's expression softened as he patted him on the back.

"You're welcome, Eugene," he said formally, but there was genuine affection in his voice. Around them, families crowded the walkway, laughing and chattering.

Unexpectedly, Molly's eyes flooded with tears, and she sat down hard on a nearby bench, feeling as though something inside of her had cracked open. Yearning filled her as she watched the two of them interact in this family-oriented place.

The woman Eugene had knocked over had mistaken her and William for a married couple, and in that moment there was nothing Molly wanted more. They were surrounded by people who had normal jobs and homes, people who took vacations. When she compared that to the endless monotony of life spent on the road going from a rental car to a hotel to an arena and back again being fired didn't seem like such a tragedy.

She didn't realize she was still crying until William and Eugene sat down on either side of her, William pulling her close and saying her name in a worried voice while Eugene clumsily patted her head. "Molly? What's wrong, love?"

"I don't want to go back," she murmured against his shoulder, the words muffled and indistinct.

"All right," William said, sounding throughly lost, He kept rubbing her back trying to get her to calm down, and Molly realized how vague her words had been.

"I don't want to go back on the road," she explained, mopping her face off with her hands. "I want to be like them."

She gestured at the families walking past them, some of whom were giving her curious looks, "I want to be normal. I want to have a house and take vacations."

"You don't want to wrestle anymore?" William asked in surprise.

"Yes... no... I don't know," she said, shaking her head at herself. "I just don't want to travel anymore. I want to stay in one place for awhile."

Even as she said the words, she knew she was still missing the big picture. She wanted to be normal, with a house and a family. Suddenly, the missing piece was obvious. "I want to have a baby," she announced in a voice that was just slightly too loud for the situation.

William looked completely flummoxed at that, and Molly realized she probably should have led up to the subject. Putting more than two seconds worth of thought into her pronouncement might have been a good idea He looked at her closely, apparently trying to decide if she'd suddenly lost her mind, and Molly braced herself for whatever he was about to say. Hopefully he'd let her down easy.

"Am I included in this plan?" he finally asked.

Molly thought back over her past words, realizing she'd made absolutely no mention of their relationship. She hastened to correct herself, wondering if she was just digging herself a deeper hole. "Well, of course I want to do all that with you!"

William nodded slowly, apparently still processing her words. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer it if we got married first," he said carefully.

"Okay," she agreed, not realizing what was happening until the word was out of her mouth, "Did you just propose to me?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. He pulled away from her, standing up to adjust his jacket and smooth back his hair. Thus settled, he got down on one knee in front of her, taking her hands in his. "We should try this again."

Her lips parted as she realized what he was about to do, and tears filled her eyes at the public display. Eugene waved to the crowd of people who were starting to surround them, but Molly couldn't focus on anything but William.

"I've loved you for years, Molly," William told her, his voice carrying in the sudden silence, "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The entire situation was surreal. Three minutes ago, they'd been cavorting with a giant bear and now William was proposing to her in a rather public manner. She had just enough time to wonder if she was dreaming before she realized that even if she was, saying _something_ would be a good idea, "Yes," she managed, "Of course I will."

Applause broke out around them, and she tapped her foot nervously against the pavement, realizing she had a rock in her sandal. That small detail convinced her that she was in fact awake. She beamed at William and leaned down to brush her lips against his.

Arms went around her from behind, and she broke away, laughing as Eugene hugged her. William rolled his eyes, but there was no animosity visible in his expression. He regained his seat on the bench beside her as the crowd around them dissipated.

Eugene's face was sweaty against the back of her neck. Her feet hurt; she was hot, and strangers were still looking at them curiously. Like any girl, Molly had daydreamed about the day she got engaged. She'd never pictured anything like this.

Looking over at William, her smile faded a little as her heart skipped a beat. Who would ever have imagined William Regal proposing in such a situation? It was the antithesis of his character, yet he'd done it for her. Somehow that made the moment more meaningful than if it had happened in the most romantic of places.

"Can we ride something else now?" Eugene asked plaintively, and they both laughed.

"You've been very patient, Eugene," William complimented him. He stood up, catching Molly's hand and helping her to her feet. "What's next?"

With her free hand, Molly retrieved the battered map. "The Haunted Mansion," she announced, looking down at Eugene, "Ooohhhh... creepy!"

She gestured for Eugene to come along, and pressed closer to William as they continued to make their way through the park. "Thanks for proposing to me," she murmured.

That surprised a laugh out of him. "Thank you for saying yes," he countered.

"We should talk."

He squeezed her hand, "We will. Haunted house first though."

"Haunted _Mansion_," she corrected him, quickening her step as Eugene skipped ahead of them.

"Whatever you say, love," he agreed, matching her pace to keep the younger man in view, "I'm with you."


	9. Chapter 9

"We could go to Smackdown," William suggested as the three of them sat slumped at an umbrella table in Fantasyland, surrounded by wailing toddlers. Molly picked at her french fries while Eugene inhaled three hot dogs. "Now that Angle's out of the picture, Teddy Long would probably want us."

Eugene gestured at something behind Molly, who shook her head for the third time in as many minutes. "The line's an hour and a half long, Eugene," she reminded him, "Later, okay?"

"Dumbo!" he protested, taken in by the flying elephant ride.

"Later, when the line's shorter," she countered, before turning her attention to William's comment, "You're right."

"But you don't sound happy about it," he observed, noting her reluctant tone.

"It's the same thing, just on a different day," she sighed, "Sure, there's no Hunter, but we'd be spending all of our time on the road again." She tossed a french fry back onto her tray in irritation at the thought as Eugene finished his final hot dog.

"Dumbo!" he exclaimed, jumping up from the table.

"Snow White," Molly countered, after another consultation with the map, "We'll do Dumbo later, I promise." They disposed of their trays quickly, Eugene impatient to be on the move again.

The line for the Snow White ride was blissfully short, and later Molly realized that she should have wondered more about that. Her mind focused on future plans, she was just glad to have something occupying Eugene.

"All I know how to do is wrestle," William admitted as they wound through the queue, "I want to give you what you want, Molly. I'm just not sure how to do it."

"I know you do," she told him, as she climbed into the ride vehicle next to him as Eugene claimed the front seat for himself, "We'll think of something."

The ride started out pleasantly enough with Snow White singing cheerfully to a bluebird perched on her finger, but it soon took a turn for the worse as the Evil Queen plotted her downfall. As their car navigated the dark show building, they were menaced by evil trees, pursued by crocodiles, and faced a witch more times than she could count. Molly found it creepy. Eugene, alone in the front row, was terrified.

"This is a children's ride?" William asked in disbelief as the ride got progressively darker. He patted Eugene on the shoulder comfortingly as the younger man whimpered in terror, wedging himself in the corner of the vehicle.

"The Haunted Mansion wasn't this scary," Molly agreed. A flash of fake lightening illuminated the witch standing in front of them, and Eugene moaned. "Close your eyes, Eugene, it's almost over."

After nearly being crushed by a boulder, they finally reached the end of the ride, and William nearly had to carry Eugene off of it. Unlike their misadventure in Frontierland, the young man wasn't screaming and running, but his shaking and quiet sounds of misery were almost worse.

"Eugene, do you want to go see Winnie the Pooh?" she offered, hoping the thought of the friendly bear would distract him. Instead, he shook his head, still whimpering.

"Back to Small World, I think," William suggested, hauling Eugene bodily along the walkway.

"You hated that ride," Molly reminded him, too concerned about Eugene to quote his lengthy rant about 'sappy sentimentality' that had preceded lunch.

"True, but at least no witches pop out on it."

The cheerful ride seemed to help, although it took three re-rides until Eugene was ready to leave and try something else. By that time, Molly was convinced that she'd hear the happy, mind-numbing song in her sleep. On the bright side, it did give her a chance to think. None of them had any marketable skills beyond wrestling, but that lifestyle wasn't conducive to having any kind of real life. It was tremendously frustrating.

As they were making their way to Tomorrowland, a subdued but no longer terrified Eugene between them, an idea finally struck Molly, and she froze, not noticing the dirty looks she got from the people who had to swerve around them. "TNA!" she blurted.

William glanced around in confusion. "Where?"

"What?" When she realized what he was talking about, she smacked his arm, "You shouldn't be looking anyway, aren't you engaged to me? No, I mean TNA _Wrestling_. They're right here in Orlando. They film here. We wouldn't have to travel so much." The company was an upstart, but it had just gotten a weekly TV deal. It would be a comedown from the grandeur of the WWE, but it might be worth it just for the ability to stay in one place for extended periods of time.

William's face became calculating. "That's not a bad idea, love," he agreed before asking, "They don't have a women's division though, do they?"

"No," she admitted, a bit crestfallen, then she rallied, "But walking in with a championship seems like a good way to start one."

He nodded in approval. "I'm willing to talk to them if you are. I'm not quite sure who to contact though."

"I am," Molly realized, feeling her face heat.

William looked at her curiously, but didn't press for more information. As the trio made their way through Tomorrowland looking for a ride that didn't happen in the dark, Molly's mind drifted to her contact: her one-time admirer Raven.

His interest in her had always been as confusing as it was flattering. Raven was nothing if not a walking enigma. Her cousins had warned her that he was dangerous, yet he'd never treated her with anything but courtly good manners and kindness. She'd missed him when he'd left the company, but she hadn't made any effort to keep in contact. To call him now that she needed something seemed like she was taking advantage of him.

She looked from Eugene to William as the three of them settled themselves into an open air blue car for a ride that promised a relaxing tour of Tomorrowland and decided that it wasn't really a choice at all. TNA was their chance to continue wrestling and lead something approximating a real life. Any advantage she had would benefit all three of them, and she couldn't justify staying quiet.

The other cars on their train were empty, and Molly took advantage of the relative quiet and privacy to pull her cell phone out of her purse, wanting to take action before her nerve deserted her. Scrolling through her contacts, she found the name she wanted, while across the car William watched her and Eugene took in their surroundings.

Mentally, she practiced what she wanted to say as the phone rang, and she took a deep breath as she heard the click that told her he'd picked up, preparing her speech.

"You three got screwed. I was hoping you'd call."

Molly let out the breath she'd been holding in relief. Trust Raven to skip the social pleasantries and get right to the point. "Do you think TNA will want us?"

"I'll make them want you," he promised, "When can you come in?"

Before she could answer, a voice rang out above them. "Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow. Your party from Saturn has arrived. Please give them a ring."

On the other end of the phone, Raven's stoicism broke. "Where _are_ you?"

"Disney World."

"Distracting Eugene?"

"Yeah."

"Good idea. Sounds like you've got time to kill. Come by the office tomorrow at one. I'll send you the address."

"You're the best, Scott," she said fervently, and William's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"I know. Tell Regal to take good care of my queen of air and darkness."

Lifting the phone away from her mouth, Molly translated, "Raven says hi." He gave a sketchy wave in reply. "We'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up without responding, and Molly chuckled as she put the phone back in her bag. "We're supposed to come by the TNA office tomorrow at one. Raven thinks he can get us a job."

William nodded, his eyes never leaving her face, "Should I be worried?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "No. He's a friend. I like him. I _love_ you."

"And he loved you," he said after a moment's consideration, "Does he still?"

She'd wondered the same thing herself as she geared up to make the call. "I don't know," she said honestly, "I hope not." It wouldn't be fair for Raven to still be pining after her. She'd found her forever relationship with William, and she wanted everyone she cared about to have that same kind of happiness, Raven included.

Her answer seemed to satisfy him, because his expression lightened, and a tension she hadn't noticed in his body left him. He relaxed back into his seat, letting his knee brush against hers. "What shall we ride next?"

Molly checked the map she was beginning to think of as an extension of her own body. "Space Mountain is close," she volunteered.

A faint snort of amusement greeted her words, and she twisted around in her seat to see a massive white cone directly behind her. Two seconds later, their car entered the dark building, and Eugene made an unhappy sound. "_Really_ close," she amended.

William began talking to Eugene in a low, soothing voice, running down the list of everyone they knew on the TNA roster, trying to distract the young man from the darkness surrounding them. He kept it up the entire time they were inside, and Molly smiled to herself at his quiet kindness. She moved to sit beside him in the car, wedging herself in next to him and resting her head against his shoulder, blinking as the train finally reemerged into the bright Florida sun. "Let's elope."

His arm settled around her shoulders. "If you insist." Stroking his thumb against the side of her neck, he teased lightly, "Do you know someone who does weddings too?"

Molly snickered, "Wasn't D-Von Dudley a preacher for awhile?"

"Even I have my limits, love," he warned her with mock seriousness.

From the other side of the car, Molly heard Eugene whoop with excitement, "Buzz Lightyear!" Craning her neck to look down, she saw a costumed character posing with a long line of children.

"I think I know where we're going next," she observed, hoping the line would have decreased slightly by the time they got there.

"Just as long as it doesn't involve a drive-thru wedding chapel," William sighed, "Call me a traditionalist."

"It was good enough for Hunter and Steph," she reminded him playfully.

"But you deserve better," he told her with absolute sincerity, and Molly blinked back sudden tears as he leaned down for a gentle kiss.

"Whatever we do will be perfect," she murmured as their train arrived at the unload station. Eugene stood up, waiting with undisguised impatience for the romantic moment to end so he could go meet Buzz Lightyear.

William rolled his eyes at the young man, ushering them off the ride and back out into the throng of people. "I don't know about perfect," he said, grabbing Eugene's shoulder to keep him from rushing the character, "It will certainly be an adventure."

Molly fell back a step so she could watch the two of them, smiling to herself. "I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
